Protecting and Restoring the Castán River Ecosystems

Dear Envirocare Coordinators, Go Green Champions and Eco Explorers,

This month, we remind ourselves of the wondrous gift of Nature: the waterways such as streams, lakes, canals and rivers. Protecting and keeping these water bodies clean brings us a wealth of benefits–healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, economic growth, food security and human well-being.

Littering does not only affect our terrestrial or land ecosystem but also the aquatic ecosystems. As heavy rains and storms become more frequent, litter from yards, streets, drainage ditches and other similar places wash away and end up in local streams, rivers, and in our ocean. Chemicals and other pollutants negatively impact the environment and living organisms in waterways.

"River restoration means repairing waterways that can no longer perform essential ecological and social functions, such as mitigating floods, providing clean drinking water, removing excessive levels of nutrients and sediments before they choke coastal zones, and supporting fisheries and wildlife." ²

–Allan, J. David, and Margaret A. Palmer. “Restoring Rivers.” Issues in Science and Technology 22, no. 2 (Winter 2006).

The Sathya Sai Institute of Education in Human Values of Venezuela, Zone 2B, and the Sathya Sai Complementary School of Trujillo in Venezuela have embarked on a river restoration project (Spanish project name: "Hermanos del Río Castán" - translated: Castán River Brothers' project) to bring back the Castán River situated in Trujillo State to its productive life and to improve its ecological status. 

Nineteen students of the school, some parents, and other Sai devotees have participated with a spirit of eco-spiritual service in seed cultivation and planting campaigns at the Castán River.

Anthropogenic activities (environmental change caused by human beings on nature)  have affected to a great extent the natural processes in the water body that have caused the river to incise and to lose connection to its floodplains³ (the low-lying land on either side of a river’s banks that makes up a river)⁴. Its health is threatened and the main source of contamination is the sewage which is poured into the river. Chemical contaminants from local agriculture also make their way into the river.

The Sai soldiers and SSEHV children of the school have decided to reforest the banks of the Vega or Castan River Basin with native species. This river is also a primary source of drinking water to the inhabitants. It also provides habitats to a large variety of animal species, which are still surviving although many have fled or died.

Fourteen families and the Sai devotees are working in unity to revive the nature of the Castán River while promoting family integration through the practice of the five universal human values, viz. truth, right action, love, peace and non-violence.

At home, the children have started to grow their own plants, nurturing them while learning new skills, having fun, playing and developing self-confidence. They spend time in the garden tending plants, they love digging in the soil and watching plants grow. They will feel deep satisfaction when they transfer these little saplings to the banks of the Castán River and watch the plants evolve.

"Plant in those tender hearts the seeds of love, sympathy, truth, justice, charity, compassion, repentance and self-control. That is the prime duty of all who deal with children…Teach them only as much as they can use beneficially and as much as can be of direct help to them in their lives. Train character more than brains."

–Sri Sathya Sai Baba, January 19, 1969

"Learn the lessons of duty, devotion, and discipline from the lips of these children; let each child be a ray of sunshine in the home, shedding light and love. Let the child's desire to serve other children and the defectives around be an inspiration to you."

–Sri Sathya Sai Baba, March 31, 1975

The students of the Sathya Sai Complementary School of Trujillo reused waste materials such as plastic and cardboards, which were more likely to be thrown away, to create their artist books. The School coordinator explained to them about the magic actions of the 5R's:'Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle' to reduce trash on Earth and to stop excessive consumption as an expression of ‘love in action’. The charming saplings fabricated their artist books based on the theme 'practice of the universal human values of Truth, Right Action, Peace, Love and Non-violence for the Castán River'.

The students enjoyed their work, and the parents' positive attitude and support towards their children’s cognitive development are very considerable. The children are inspired when the parents and teachers empower them to develop good learning habits. They blossom into ideal citizens of this land. In an integration session, students and parents have learned about the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals⁵.

'It is necessary to carry out concrete actions and important behaviour changes in order to be able to face this environmental problem in our communities as citizens. Collectively and individually, each one of us has a responsibility to lovingly care for Mother Earth.'

–Coordinator of Sathya Sai Complementary School of Trujillo

'We are all interconnected, enthusiastic, and happy to be able to expand our love to develop and expand our notion of seva with this integral and intergenerational vision project.' –Parent

'We are putting Sai's teachings into practice: Love everyone, serve everyone, which extends to all nature, including plants and animals. In this way, parents have shown responsibility in the cultivation, care and planting of seeds.'

–ISSEVHVEN Deputy Director of Family Soc.

Castán River was like in the past, quite mighty, among the animals there were limpets, tigrillo, spectacled bear, picure, carpincho, cachicamo, lamparosa fish; among plants there were the bucare, caracoli, apamate, mahogany. Slowly, many of them disappeared.'

–Grandparents and local people of the area

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With Sai Love and Care,

Environmental Sustainability Committee 

Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

References

^{1    United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)}

^{2    Allan, J. David, and Margaret A. Palmer. “Restoring Rivers.” Issues in Science and Technology 22,         no.  2 (Winter 2006).}

^{3    The Umweltbundesamt | For our environment. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/consumer-in} 

^{4    American Rivers. Why we need to restore floodplains. https://www.americanrivers.org/threats-solutions/restoring-damaged-rivers/benefits-of-restoring-floodplains/} 

^{5    United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable   Development}